Board Rejects Leaf-burning Ban

May 08, 1997|By Polly Stanoch Rix.

WAYNE — The Village Board has turned down a request for an ordinance prohibiting the burning of landscape material within the village.

Kenneth Walters, who lives in the DuPage County side of the village where burning is prohibited, told the board that leaf burning was a serious problem in his neighborhood and he asked the board to take a stand on the issue.

Village President Eileen Phipps, who lives in Kane County, said she does not support a village ordinance. "I'm in favor of burning leaves and twigs," said Phipps, who has several large oak trees on her lot.

Phipps said that mulching piles of leaves and twigs is not practical and that asking residents to mulch instead of burn yard waste places too much of a burden on them. But, she said, residents should be considerate of their neighbors.

Writing a leaf-burning ordinance has come up for extended discussions at least four times in the past eight or nine years, said Village Attorney Kenneth Shepro.

Unlike DuPage County, neighboring Kane County does not have an open burning restriction.